Boxing Commission's Challenge of Authentication
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16-SPORTS 16 THE FREEPORT NEWS Wednesday, October 4, 2017 SPORTS Does Freeman Barr deserve recognition as world champ? Boxing Commission’s challenge of authentication This question, I pose today. Barr defeated “Downtown” Does Freeman Barr deserve to Jerry Brown on points over be recognized as an authentic 12 rounds to become the In- world champion? ternational Boxing Organiza- For years now, a little over four tion (IBO) world middleweight decades, Elisha Obed has been champion. Now, to be frank, the widely recognized as the one true IBO is down on the list of “most Bahamian world boxing champi- accepted” world boxing bodies. on. He accomplished what great Considered on top is the WBC, national pugilists such as Yama followed by the WBA, then the Bahama and Gomeo Brennan World Boxing Organization before him, never did. (WBO) and the International On that fateful night of Novem- Boxing Federation (IBF). The ber 11, 1975, when Obed annihi- IBO, to most of boxing’s people, lated the tough Spaniard Miguel falls directly under those four. SPORTS COPE ByS Fred Sturrup “On that fateful night of November 11, 1975, when Obed annihilated the tough Spaniard Miguel de Oliveira to capture what was then known as the World Boxing Coun- cil Junior Middleweight (now also called the WBC Super Welterweight Crown), he made glorifying history for The Bahamas. Obed hit his peek at the right time. Boxing worldwide had evolved into various interna- tional organizations. The WBC in fact came out the World Boxing Association, the one accepted world body that previously veri- fied champions. For more detailed history, FREEMAN BARR – He fin- the WBA mushroomed out of the Nation- ished an excellent career at 29-4-0 and captured the al Boxing Association (an adjustment that IBO Middleweight Title in made it more global).” 1997. de Oliveira to capture what was However the IBO does pack cre- then known as the World Boxing dentials from the names of gal- Council Junior Middleweight lant warriors who relished being (now also called the WBC Su- a title holder at one time or the per Welterweight Crown), he other. made glorifying history for The I listed them in a previous col- Bahamas. Obed hit his peek at umn and do so once again: Thom- the right time. Boxing world- as Hearns, Wladimir Klitschko, wide had evolved into various Roy Jones Jr., Floyd Mayweath- international organizations. The er Jr., Manny Pacquiao, Pinklon WBC in fact came out the World Thomas, Bernard Hopkins, An- Boxing Association, the one ac- tonio Carver and Chad Dawson. cepted world body that previous- They are noted members of the ly verified champions. For more international boxing family and detailed history, the WBA mush- they verify the status of the IBO, roomed out of the National Box- in my view. ing Association (an adjustment And so it is, for the Bahamas that made it more global). Boxing Commission, as it goes Actually, Obed and the top about the difficult chore of reg- boxers of his generation, were ulating the boxing history in the afforded an additional avenue country, to make the official de- of championship opportunity termination regarding Barr. that was not available for Baha- Will he be anointed and given ma or Brennan when they were the same status as Obed? at their best in the ring. Bren- Is he deserving of such? nan did get a shot at a world ti- Barr accounted himself very tle, but by then, he was an old well in the ring. He finished fighter whose body had grown with a 29-4-0 record, was voted into a light heavyweight. He just into the Florida Boxing Hall of did not have enough against the Fame, as was Obed before him. much taller Vicente Rondon. Barr is an inductee, also, in the Bahama, despite his brilliance, Bahamas National Sports Hall and being one of the prime time of Fame. performers in the high profiled He is a future member of the Madison Square Garden when Bahamas Boxing Commission’s televised boxing was huge, nev- Hall of Fame. er got a world title shot although His attitude has been magnif- he was top-10 ranked as a mid- icent, with not a trace of con- dleweight for an appreciable pe- troversy during a distinguished riod of time. career. Now, we come to Freeman He’s been one of the good Barr. sporting ambassadors to come The current Bahamas Boxing down the line giving represen- Commission is mandated to es- tation to the Commonwealth tablish a true history of boxing in of The Bahamas, in locations the country. The full registration around the world. of boxers present and from the He was the IBO world middle- past is advocated, to finally pack- weight champion. age the authentic history of all of Certainly, more is to come the divisions, the champions, the about this Androsian son of the international campaigners, those soil. who won regional titles and of course, world titles. • To respond to this column, So, yes, we must address the kindly contact Fred Sturrup at Freeman Barr case. [email protected] or on On September 20, 1997, WhatsApp at 727-6363. ELISHA OBED – He was 90-21-4 for his career and won WBC Junior Middleweight Championship in 1975..